CINCINNATI *BENGALS VS. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS POST-GAME QUOTES 12/7/08 *
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HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (general comments) Bengals vs. Colts Post-Game Quotes 12/7/08
"Everyone thinks these games are going to be easy and they'll look at the final score and feel like it was. But we had to work. Everybody came out and played well, slowed the game down. With their defense we thought that we were going to blitz us a lot more, but they made us be patient. We had one drive in there that was fumble down there. We were kind of hammering away early. We got a couple big plays on defense, got some take aways. The second half, we got rolling. It was a good effort and the kind of thing you need to start off December. Told the team it was what we expected, we got that and now we can look to next week."
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HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on DB-Kelvin Hayden's interception) Bengals vs. Colts Post-Game Quotes 12/7/08
"He was getting excellent reads on the quarterback and getting a jump on things. The first one maybe he could have intercepted but ran into a receiver. I thought he was going for the ball. The flag came out late. He continued that, didn't let that stop him. He did a good jump in our zones on the quarterback. He made some big plays."
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HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on the passing game) Bengals vs. Colts Post-Game Quotes 12/7/08
"We felt we had a chance to if we could get the game in that situation where they had to throw. They had a rookie left tackle playing which is tough, in this building especially. They did a good job early on of kind of mixing it up, keeping us off balance, running in some of the passing situations. But, once we got the lead, our guys were able to turn it up, which we like to see."
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HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on having a big lead) Bengals vs. Colts Post-Game Quotes 12/7/08
"We haven't had that in such a long time. You get them by just working hard. You never know when they are going to come. It was fun to have some of our young guys in there and see them play and get some rest for our guys. We have two games coming up in five days. We'll need that and hopefully take advantage of it."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on DB-Bob Sanders) Bengals vs. Colts Post-Game Quotes 12/7/08
"I thought he was a little rusty, which you could expect. He obviously gives us that energy and still that speed. He missed some tackles that he normally makes. So it's good to have him get some time and again not have to play a whole game. That's probably pretty good too. I think he'll be much better next week."
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QB-PEYTON MANNING (on the game) Colts vs. Bengals Post-Game Quotes 12/7/08
"It didn't feel easy out there. We look at teams, we don't look at records. They have good players, they have good schemes. You still have to go out there and make the plays. You got to make some critical third downs. You have got to break some tackles like (RB) Dominic (Rhodes) did for the first touchdown. Our goal all day was really what we have been trying to do the past few weeks, we call staying in phase. Being good on first and second downs. Staying out of third and longs or staying out of third downs in general. We had a number of those situations today where we go first down, second down, back to first down. Critical play by (DB) Kelvin (Hayden) getting that interception before the half. We felt like we should have been up a couple scores. We had our turnover turn into three points for them, but it was nice to capitalize on Kelvin's interception before the half and come back with the first drive of the second half."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on the play of defense) Colts vs. Bengals Post-Game Quotes 12/7/08
"Yeah they have done a great job considering they are playing without some starters. Playing without our defensive captain (LB) Gary Brackett. Playing without (DB) Marlin Jackson one of the top players. Great to see number 21 (DB-Bob Sanders) out there today. Everybody has got to step their game up and fill in the holes and the gaps. Hopefully we can get guys like Gary back out there as soon as possible. Great job by them creating turnovers and keeping them out of the end zone today."
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QB-PEYTON MANNING (on the offense bouncing back from last week's game) Colts vs. Bengals Post-Game Quotes 12/7/08
"Well, we just wanted to be a lot sharper. Last week was a funny game in the fact that we did some good things, moved the ball well, just couldn't finish in the red zone. That was the goal today to be better in the red zone. Aside from the one turnover we did a good job of getting touchdowns, not having to settle for field goals. That is what you got to have in order to win games. You got to be able to score touchdowns and be good in the red zones. It was nice today, we made some plays. (WR-Anthony) Gonzalez made a great play on a sprint out play. (TE) Dallas (Clark) made a tough catch there in traffic. Like I said, (RB) Dominic (Rhodes) made a really big run."
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QB-PEYTON MANNING (on winning six games in a row) Colts vs. Bengals Post-Game Quotes 12/7/08
"I think we have just gotten back to some of the basic fundamental things that we won with in the past. Certainly at 3-4 you find yourself in a hole. We really have kind of stepped our game up a little bit as far as protecting the ball better, being better in the red zone, trying to eliminate some penalties. Our special teams have done a better job. Like I said offensively and defensively we are sort of feeding off of one another. When one is down the other is picking them up. Ideally you want both of them to play great at the same time. It's truly been a one-game-at-a-time mentality since we have been 3-4 and that was the philosophy today. That will be the philosophy the rest of this month."
RB-DOMINIC RHODES (on the game) Colts vs. Bengals Post-Game Quotes 12/7/08
"They are a good football team and we just came out and took care of business. It's never about who you play, but how you play as individuals and as a team and today we played pretty well. Our offensive line blocked well for Peyton and the receivers and the running backs were picking up their blocks and the receivers were catching the ball and making plays."
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TE-GIJON ROBINSON (on his performance) Colts vs. Bengals Post-Game Quotes 12/7/08
"I was just concentrating on what I do and I knew if I could do that I would be able to help the team out. It's important to be in tune with (QB) Peyton (Manning) and in the right place at the right time. It's definitely rewarding."
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TE-DALLAS CLARK (on if the team is starting to peak) Colts vs. Bengals Post-Game Quotes 12/7/08
"I think so. I think this is the right time of year, too. We are getting some guys back and getting some kind of gelling going on out there on all three phases. That's definitely what you want to be seeing come December. We have three more games left, and you want to be hitting full stride here and we're definitely doing that. But, the great thing is that there are still things that we need to correct, and there are still things that we can respond and be better at. So, that's the good thing that we still have things to work on. And, I think we have the right mentality to just go out there and get better every week."
TE-DALLAS CLARK (on TE-Gijon Robinson) Colts vs. Bengals Post-Game Quotes 12/7/08
"He was huge. That first touchdown drive was pretty much all him. We needed a spark. We went three-and-out in the first series. That's not how you want to start at home, and that second drive is pretty much all Gijon. That was huge. We needed that spark. (Cincinnati) was playing some good coverages, and sometimes (QB) Peyton (Manning) has to dump it off and dump it down to the running back or maybe a tight end dragging, and Gijon did a great job of not only catching but turning up and getting some positive yards."
TE-DALLAS CLARK (on how important it was for him to get a touchdown after fumbling near the goal line in the second quarter) Colts vs. Bengals Post-Game Quotes 12/7/08
"You always want to redeem yourself somehow, and when you fumble on the goal line I guess the only way to really redeem yourself is by scoring a touchdown, so that was nice to get that. But, (the fumble) was a stupid play on my part. You have to know when not to try to make a play. I was just being stupid and trying to dive for the end zone and that wasn't the time that we needed to do something like that. I'll learn from that, but it was good to be able to come back and get the touchdown."
DE-ROBERT MATHIS (on if the team made a statement) Colts vs. Bengals Post-Game Quotes 12/7/08
"It's a game. We just played Colts' ball today. That's what you get when everybody's clicking on all cylinders."
DE-ROBERT MATHIS (on the team's mindset) Colts vs. Bengals Post-Game Quotes 12/7/08
"Just to keep everything going in a positive direction and just minimize the negatives and maximize our positives."
DE-ROBERT MATHIS (on if the defense felt good) Colts vs. Bengals Post-Game Quotes 12/7/08
"Yes, but at the same time, you can't get too happy on one game. It is just one game, so it just inches us closer to where we have to be in January."
DE-ROBERT MATHIS (on the team controlling its destiny to make the playoffs) Colts vs. Bengals Post-Game Quotes 12/7/08
"We only worry about ourselves and don't worry about what's going on outside this locker room."
DE-DWIGHT FREENEY (on the game) Colts vs. Bengals Post-Game Quotes 12/7/08
"It was definitely a fun one. Whenever teams like to open it up, Robbie (DE-Robert Mathis) and I like to pin our ears back and just go at it. And we both got after it. This is the game we've been waiting for. To put all three phases together, special teams, offense and defense scoring the points. Hopefully we can keep that momentum going next week and keep going. Their offensive line was a little banged up and we understood that once we started scoring points. And we had fun out there. We stick to what we know. We stick to our practice habits and this is November and December. And this is when you have to have your A game. We are definitely turning it on right now."
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DB-KELVIN HAYDEN (on his performance) Colts vs. Bengals Post-Game Quotes 12/7/08
"You are right when you say right place at the right time. We try to take advantage of the opportunities. We did a great job of game planning these guys. Knew that the quarterback would get kind of rattled due to pressures by the defensive ends. So we try to take advantage of opportunities and take it and make it happen."
DB-KELVIN HAYDEN (on expecting big defensive plays) Colts vs. Bengals Post-Game Quotes 12/7/08
"Yeah. That is our whole mentality. Offense going to put up numbers and us on defense know that once they get up, their team is going to pass the ball. Once they get into that mode we call it 'dinner time.' Everybody wants to eat off of the offense when they make mistakes."
DB-KELVIN HAYDEN (on the play of Freeney and Mathis) Colts vs. Bengals Post-Game Quotes 12/7/08
"It is great because those guys are going to put pressure on it and I guarantee the quarterback has those two guys on his mind. As a concern it's just a point of being on the details and when the opportunity presents itself, take advantage of it."
DB-KELVIN HAYDEN (on his touchdown) Colts vs. Bengals Post-Game Quotes 12/7/08
"I always think the ball is coming to my guy. The thing is I saw the quarterback staring down the receiver and it was just the point, I guess they had a miscommunication, as me reading the quarterback, I just made a play on it. That was the easy part of it, running it back."
DB-BOB SANDERS (on his first game back from injury) Colts vs. Bengals Post-Game Quotes 12/7/08
"I felt pretty good. I'm definitely excited to be back out. When you're hurt and you're out, you want to come back and not miss a beat. Today I felt like I had a pretty good day and I got some plays in there."
DB-BOB SANDERS (on the defense's energy) Colts vs. Bengals Post-Game Quotes 12/7/08
"It was great. I think it was a total team effort. I think we just played well all around, in every area. We said we wanted three picks in the back end, and we did. We said we wanted to keep pressure on the quarterback and get some sacks, and we did that. I just think all around we played a solid game."
DB-MELVIN BULLITT (on DEs Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis) Colts vs. Bengals Post-Game Quotes 12/7/08
"They looked like a couple of running backs coming off the edge running a 40 (yard dash) just watching them rush the passer. He couldn't even look downfield for the secondary to get anything, and when he did we got a lot of interceptions. It was a rough day on that offensive line and for that quarterback."
DB-MELVIN BULLITT (on if the team is starting to peak) Colts vs. Bengals Post-Game Quotes 12/7/08
"It's all about all three parts doing their job. If everybody does what they're supposed to do, I really don't see too many teams that can beat us. Today, everybody did their job."
